Third Wheel
by Kenta Divina
Summary: He won't leave me alone. He knows my name, knows my secrets... And he loves someone else. He uses my past against me, my love, my hunger, my loyalty. But do I let him? Complete.
1. Why?

Author's Note: Eh, I was bored, and had this random idea while surfing Labyrinth stories.

Why?

With a slight groan, I pushed away from my computer and stretched my arms over my head. Blinking my eyes, I stared down at the silver rings on my fingers, letting my mind wander to the places where I had purchased them. What I wouldn't give to go back there – Ireland, England, Italy. But that was long time ago. Reality hovered over me, just like the paperwork sitting on the desk next to the phone. I couldn't help smirking.

It would have to wait till tomorrow. I was counting down the minutes till I could leave without a glare from my supervisor. I crammed my notes into my bag and picked up my coffee mug. Waving to my friend in the cubicle across from mine, I headed to the woman's restroom to rinse the cup before leaving for the afternoon.

I stared at the image in the mirror, a petite figure with long, straight black hair that shadowed dark brown eyes. Raising an eyebrow, I pondered tying my hair back and then noticed that the black jacket I wore over the new lavender shirt I had bought yesterday had a bit a white on the shoulders. I wrinkled my nose at it. That new shampoo wasn't working. Thankfully no one really noticed if my hair was down, so I left it and took off the jacket. Checking over my appearance, I took a moment to re-apply some lip gloss and wrinkled my nose again. I didn't like my lips – they were too small and 'puckery' in my opinion. Completely not me – miss one-track-mind who worked at an insurance company and took on tasks methodically and professionally. However, I couldn't help but smile to myself thinking, _Well, they come in handy when and if I want to go out_.

Tonight was not one of those times. All I wanted was to get a nice green tea at the café, go home, watch some television, and go to bed. The elevator rang floor by floor until it reached the lobby. Stepping out, I gave the security guard a nod and pushed open the large glass doors to the high-rise building. The café most of my coworkers and I visited was a block away. The afternoon heat still radiated off of the cement and marble surfaces of the city, but I only pulled my hair back over my shoulders and briskly entered the flow of business suits and mutely colored skirts. The line was long, but I expected that. After rolling my eyes that the complaints of one woman who had gotten foam on her latte, when she had 'specifically' asked for no foam, I gave the worn cashier a smile and asked for my tea.

The nice thing about my job was that I lived just across the park from it. The park was a large one, but full of wide open spaces and large, old oak trees. I stop here every now and then on the way back from work. Today seemed just as good a time as any, since no one else was around to disturb the scenery. My parents had been worried about me walking through the place at night, but I felt completely at peace – taking the convenience as a sign that the job was good for me, as were the living quarters. I'm a nature-girl at heart. City life is great, but nothing beats the wind in the trees.

_Too bad I have no one to share it with_.

I frowned at that thought. Was that such a bad thing?

_All your relationships have ended on the other end_. My little internal logic spoke up.

So? They weren't up to my standards.

_Or were you too scared to let them meet your standards?_

With a sigh, I plopped down on a bench, letting my bag rest against my feet. Taking a pull at the straw, I looked at my rings again, fidgeting. This had been going on more often as of late – my little mental arguments. I couldn't help letting out a little laugh.

"The first sign of insanity…" What would Kay say to that? I was arguing in my head. She would probably laugh with me. At least I wasn't doing it out loud.

I did sigh and ask the leaves dancing overhead, "Why now?"

"I ask myself that question every day." A deep accented voice replied.

I jerked and turned on the bench. The descending sun was behind the figure leaning against the tree a few feet behind me and blinded me for the first few moments.

"Say what?" I asked impulsively and cringed. _Great way to sound adult_.

"Why. I ask that a lot."

The man moved and I couldn't help blinking at his hair. It stood up every which-way and was the purest blond I had ever seen. _He must bleach it_. I mused. He was wearing a loose white linen shirt that was unbuttoned halfway down his chest. Black jeans had bits of grass clinging to them. I immediately shifted my foot to step on the strap of my bag in case he was some sort of conversational purse snatcher. I had to admit that he was extremely attractive with a lean build, and sharp cheekbones. I couldn't see his eyes, but he smiled before changing his pose against the tree.

"You ask why for some specific reason, or just to the world in general?" I smiled back.

"Both. Why are you asking?"

He must be from England with that accent. I love accents. But the way he was dressed and his demeanor suggested he was a man of extreme leisure. Some sort of model perhaps? I shrugged and took another sip from my tea. "You know this is a completely pointless conversation. Like kids asking why just to bug the daylights out of you."

"Alright then, let me ask _why_ you were asking why?"

_And _why_ was I having this odd conversation with a complete stranger? Why not?_ I sighed. "Bad day at work."

"You work around here?"

_Nuh-uh buddy – not getting personal information from me_. I answered, "I stop through here once in a while."

He smirked at my evasion but didn't pursue it. He finally moved away from the tree, to the relief of my neck, and moved to stand in front of me on the pathway. The first thing that I noticed was the flash of metal against his chest. The second was that his eyes were mis-matched, blue, and some sort of green. To cover my stare, I took another sip. He asked,

"But you said 'why now'. Something bad happen?"

"It's been a hard week. Lots of dull paperwork, all day sitting in a cubicle with no light except those fluorescent tubes, and a chair with one missing wheel make for a lot of stress." It wasn't much of an explanation, but this stranger seemed to understand. Turn about was fair play. "So what about you?"

"A hard year – and mine is a little more, emotional."

I couldn't help smiling as the man began toying with the pendant around his neck. "Girlfriend?"

He gave me a sharp look with his strange eyes. "Not quite."

"Boyfriend?"

This time he frowned. "No… it's a woman, but we never had a very – substantial relationship."

"Here's the repeating question – why?"

He sighed and sat down next to me on the bench. His figure was long-limbed but not an imposing physical presence, yet something about him made my end of the seat feel very small. I felt a small blush start working up my face, but deliberately ignored it. His smooth voice sounded rather wistful.

"We started out as opponents in a game. I wanted to win, but at the same time, I wanted her to win. The prize was worth everything – or so I thought at first. But I had never met anyone with as much, energy and drive as her. And she won, but she hated me for causing so much trouble."

"What game?"

"I'm afraid I can't reveal that to you, we only just met after all."

I shrugged, "True. But did she know that you… liked her?"

"I thought so. But she only wanted the prize."

With a frown, I played with the straw in my cup. "But the game is over now. Can't you just go back and tell her? Start over, perhaps?"

He shook his head. "No, she has to call me first, and I doubt I am at the top of her favorite person list."

"Why does she have to call you first?"

"It's one of the rules."

"But the game is over. So what?"

"It isn't over. It will never be over."

The way he said it made me shiver in the early evening light. It suddenly occurred to me that I could be sitting next to some crazy stalker. Handsome or not, I didn't want to find out. Reaching down to pick up my bag, I gave him a last smile. "Well, I have to get going. I hope everything turns out alright."

"Wait!" His eyes were pleading.

"Sir, I don't think I can help you and I need to get home. My advice is to talk to whoever it is and be honest."

He blinked. "Honest?"

I paused in surprise. "Yes, honest! That's how all relationships should be. Even when someone messes up, they should be honest about it and try their best not to do it again. At least, that's what I believe." I added with a dry grin. "Not that it's really worked for me – but it might for you."

He stood and I mentally cursed my height for the millionth time. He smiled down at me. "Honesty is a hard thing for people raised with trickery as a way of life."

_So was he some sort of performer then?_ I smiled in return. "If you tell her that – then she'd probably appreciate it better." I extended my hand. "I hope it works."

To my surprise he took my hand by the fingertips and gently kissed the back of it with a bow. The blush kicked up in full force as he released me with an overly-confident smirk.

"I thank you for your wisdom, Mai."

I froze. _How did he know my name?_ Before I could recover, he tossed what looked like a glass sphere the size of a small apple towards my face. I reached out reflexively to catch it, but the instant it touched my fingers it exploded into a swirl of silver sparkles. When the air cleared, he was gone.

Shaken, I snatched up my bag and briskly walked through the park towards my apartment. _Kay will definitely think I'm insane now_.

Author's note: So, there's my little, 'what if' idea. What if someone from now, met Jareth and managed to give him a little moral support. I do have an idea for a continuation. If anyone is interested, please let me know.


	2. Reality?

Author's Note: I went on vacation for 4th of July to NYC and Had an expanding idea on the 5 hr bus ride over. Thank you, Ripper 101, I'm glad you approve of Mia and I like your idea about going from different individual's perspectives, but for now I'm going to stick to this, and thank you Moonjava (that you found it better than expected ;)) and thank you Ri, Nugrey, Midnight Lady, babs, and asn water.

Reality?

It had been over a week since my encounter with that man in the park. But time did nothing to dull my memory. But there was no one I could tell my story too without being laughed at – not even my best friend, Kay. I went about my usual routine, working my eight hours, eating lunch at a cafeteria or the small string of restaurants down the street, and going home to watch television before showering and going to bed. I needed to get my hair trimmed.

With a satisfied hum, I began cleaning up my workspace. I had closed a good deal this week, possibly enough to catch the boss's eye for a raise – or vacation time. Lord knows that I needed one. I congratulated myself with a Starbucks mint chocolate frappachino. Their drinks are always so overpriced, but so annoyingly good.

This time it was almost as if he were waiting for me, lounging on the bench where I met him and playing with a white feather. I saw him just as I rounded the bend to enter the park and hesitated. This was clearly a man with issues. Did I really want to put up with him?

But how did he know my name? How did he disappear in a park full of open spaces?

_Unless he flew up a tree_. I thought to myself sarcastically. Squaring my shoulders, I marched over to the bench. He didn't even have the grace to look at me as I approached and just stated flatly,

"You lied."

My anger was pulled up short. "'scuse me?"

Twirling the feather in his fingers, he elaborated. "You said if I was honest, then she would believe me, but she didn't. She just accused me of being jealous that she won the game."

Well you clearly are, but there seems to be more to it.

"Look," I pushed some wayward hair behind one ear. "I just gave you some advice – it didn't mean that you had to use it, or even that it would work."

"You only made things worse. She yelled at me, and now won't even answer my call."

I rolled my eyes at his sulkiness. "Sorry, but I don't think it's really my fault."

"Well this is."

I glared at him, lounging on the bench wearing a strange outfit of and emerald green silk shirt untucked over brown leather pants. The shirt was full of rips that had been repaired with bits of black. The stark blond hair that still stuck up every which-way had a green tint to it. I couldn't help wondering if he had gone swimming and didn't wash out the chlorine. "Look buddy, don't think I've forgotten what you pulled the last time we met. How the heck did you know my name, and what on Earth did you throw at me?"

He sprang to his feet and bit out. "Do not speak to me like that."

I should have been frightened, and perhaps I was, but his attitude was too irritating. _Who was he that he thought he could act so superior?_ "Speak to you like what? I have a right to know. I've been nothing but nice, trying to help a complete stranger, and now I'm the one who messed up your relationship?"

His eyes were burning and I took a step back. "You have no idea who I am, do you."

"No, but I'll bet your girlfriend does and that's why she shot you down." I turned and began walking away, mad at him for making me this up-tight, and mad at myself for letting him get under my skin.

"Doesn't it bother you anymore, Mai," his voice saying my name turned something in my chest cold. "Doesn't it bother you at night that you no longer have dreams – that your expectations are only those which others set out for you?"

I spun on my heel, hands clenched. How could he know that? How could he know that I worried at night that I never seemed to dream – not even the dull, daily memories which I'd heard other talk about. Not even nightmares. Sure I was good at my job, but I had nothing else to do. The accuracy of his question made me tremble, but the violation of privacy had me up in arms. "You stay away from me or so help me, I'll go to the police."

He laughed. "And tell them what?"

"Everything."

He smiled toothily. "My dear girl, they'll be more interested in your mental state than in finding me."

Frustrated, I waved my hand at him in a _shoo_-ing motion. "Go away. Do that trick you did earlier. I don't know why or how you came to me, or know my name when I don't know yours, but I want nothing to do with you."

"I can give them back."

I looked up, startled. "What?"

He was holding something in his hand. Idly I glanced at the ground, looking for the white feather. Instead, he held a glass sphere, like a piece of décor. In one deft movement, he rolled it over to the back of his hand, down his arm, and smoothly transferred it to the fingertips of his other hand. A pretty move, and almost hypnotizing. He held it out to me.

"I can give you back your dreams."

I raised an eyebrow and began laughing. "How many times have you rehearsed that line?"

His jaw clenched and he closed his fist around the glass ball. It shattered into a burst of the same sparkles as he had produced before. "Do not take me so lightly. I have never offered back something I have taken. Usually I make the contestant win them back."

"So what makes me so special?"

"Your denial of the truth interests me. You want to believe, but you will not let yourself."

"Believe what? You never make sense! Why, out of everyone in this city – in this world besides that girlfriend of yours who I'm beginning to pity – have you chosen me to torment?"

He stared at me pensively, the sinking sun illuminating his sharp features in such a way that I was reminded of some bird of prey. The anger and cold playfulness left his voice and was replaced with what was almost pity. "You really do not remember? This world has been harsher to you than I realized."

I habitually twisted a ring on my right hand. I tended to do it when I was nervous or bored. "Stop with the word games, mister."

He circled me once, boots scuffing the walkway and then turned his head to the side, watching me. "You were young, I grant you that. But you had such promise. You fought with such spirit."

I frantically scanned my memory of ever meeting such a vague and ungrounded individual and came up with nothing. I decided to stick to my indignant responses and crossed my arms. "If you don't come to some point right now, I'm going to leave."

His next question threw me again. "What do you remember about your sister?"

My heart plunged to my stomach. "My sister?"

"Yes, what was her name… Min, I believe. Such a charming young girl with so much curiousity."

Asking how he knew all this seemed like a moot point by now. "She died when I was nine. She was six. It was a car accident."

"But before that."

Before? What was he talking about? We had been typical siblings, rivals and best friends all in one. Her death had frightened me. I learned about death when all I had been concerned about was what to do the next day. I learned that at some point in my life, there would never be a next day. He answered his own question.

"You had a party for your birthday. Some friends came over to spend the night. She would not leave you alone, so you were angry."

"Mom put her to bed."

"But this was later."

"We were telling ghost stories."

"And she came into your room, and you said something."

I frowned, hating the smug look on his face. We had been telling stories and Min had come in to try and join us. We were talking about ghosts, goblins, and zombies. My friends Kay, Jess, and Zoe were there – and Jess's friend Sarah.

"What did you do, Mai?"

"I got mad at her, I yelled something, and she went to her room crying. End of story."

He smiled, mis-matched eyes glowing. "That was just the beginning." He sighed and drew another glass sphere from some pocket. "It gives me great hope that children are still able to believe in fairy tales. But then, it is just as disappointing when you forget so easily."

"She died two nights later. I haven't had a dream since then. I don't want to."

"Oh you don't?"

He tossed the sphere at me again. This time I refused to catch it, and it hit me in the chest with a faint pop. A strange sensation rushed through me, an electric buzz that numbed all my senses, and then it was gone and so was he.

Author's Note: There you have it – at least for now. Please continue to leave your opinions and suggestions!


	3. Dreaming?

Author's Note: I am very encouraged by the reviews! (Ripper101 – the name is Mai, and the sister is Min) Who knew that such a little idea would be so interesting… but it goes to show that you never know until you try. The only other Labyrinth story I've written is 'Haunted' and I wrote that when I was depressed. This one is a product of stress, so perhaps it's all related.

Dreaming?

I entered my apartment and threw my bag on the floor. What was going on in my life? Everything had been fine until I decided to be sympathetic to a complete stranger. Even though he was a very good looking stranger, and completely out of my league… Did I even have a league? As far as my history with men went, most of them were interested physically, but not mentally, and that just wasn't enough for me. That man, however, seemed to be in a league of his very own – completely detached.

Twisting my hair up on the top of my head, I grabbed a giant hair clip from my bed and secured it off of my neck. I loved my hair, but it really was getting to be a bit of a hassle. Coming from a mixed ethnic background had its drawbacks. First things first… I wanted to take the makeup off of my face. If I let it rub off onto my cloths, I would be doing twice as much laundry down at the laundro-mat and I had plenty of other places to use my quarters. That and I really did not feel like going out tonight after _he_ did whatever he did.

With the water running in the sink, I stared at my reflection while waiting for the water to warm. My mother had been Chinese. My father was an American, blond, and blue eyed. I had my mother's general looks, but the mark my father had left on me was my smile, and the faint dimple in my chin. I never liked it, but that was how things went. I reached for my face-cloth.

There were leftovers in the fridge. Mostly it was BBQ chicken, some pasta, and yogurt. With a shrug I pulled it all out and arranged a plate. Plopping down on the second of six pieces of furniture I owned, I slung my legs over the arm of my generously padded living room chair, and turned on the television. Scratching an itch on my collar bone, I dug in to my miscellaneous dinner and watched two episodes of CSI. I'd seen them all, but I needed some sort of mindless activity. When it was over, I began flipping channels, and itched again, this time a little lower, right over my heart.

Curious, I peeked under the collar of the t-shirt I had put on after washing up. My skin was glittering in the dim light. With an eerie feeling, I put my plate on the floor and went into the bathroom. Taking off my shirt, I stared at the mirror.

In a perfect outline, the silhouette some kind of bird graced my chest just over the material of my bra. It shimmered in the yellow glow. Almost cool… if it didn't have the distinct impression of ownership on it. I growled and began rubbing at it. Nothing.

"Well, damn." I cursed. The next time I saw that infuriating man, he was going to get a major earful. I glanced at the clock.10 pm already, and I had to get up at seven. Giving up on trying to remove the mark, I climbed into bed.

Laughter… children's laughter was floating around me. I could hear a girl chanting and clapping her hands, the beat slowly speeding up. Then I heard someone calling out,

"_Mia, your friends are here!"_

"_Send them back here, Mom! I'm beating Min!"_

More giggles. _"No you're not!"_

"_One more time and I'll prove it!"_

I could see something, a cake, glowing in the distance and I began struggling to get to it through the clinging darkness. It vanished.

"_Hey Kay, hey Zoe! Who's that?"_

I turned to see myself, at nine, talking to a girl with short brown hair and grey eyes. Freckles dotted her nose. It was Zoe, who I had lost touch with in high school. My friend Kay, who still wore her hair shoulder length, but had begun experimenting with colors, was carrying a gift wrapped in a large green bow. Kay wore cut-off jeans and a paint-splattered t-shirt. I couldn't help smiling – she always loved colors, which is why it didn't surprise me that she became an artist. Behind the two of them, a small, slender figure hovered, chewing on a fingernail. She had long, curling dark hair that I immediately envied. Soft green eyes met dark brown, and hesitantly smiled.

"_I'm Sarah, I came with Jess. Hope you don't mind."_

"_Are you good with ghost stories?"_

"_I can be, I know one good one."_

"_Great! Cause we're going to scare ourselves to stay awake all night!"_

The scene was pulled away from me and I had the sickening feeling of being dropped.

"_Mia, Mia, I want to come in."_

"_Go away, Min. This is my party. You can't stay up this late."_

"_Well neither are you!"_

"_But it's my birthday. Mom said it was okay."_

"_Then it's okay for me too!"_

"_No it's not! Go to bed! We'll just scare you and you'll start crying and then Mom will make us all go to bed."_

"_No!"_

"_Min, we'll scare you and you'll have nightmares."_

"_I'm old enough!"_

"_You're only six!"_

"_So?"_

"_Min, I swear if you don't go back to your room right now, I'll wish the goblins come and take you away right now."_

"_No you won't!"_

"_Yes I will! See – I wish the goblins will take you away!"_

"_Mia, you're so mean!"_

"_Go to bed!"_

I jerked awake. I wanted to say that it was the mark on my chest. I wanted to blame it on the man who had been tormenting me for the past week. But this, I knew in my heart, was the truth. Rolling over onto my back, I flung and arm over my eyes. I remembered now… I remembered running down stone corridors, panicked and afraid. Strange creatures chased me, I remember falling down a cliff, and being saved by a giant white owl. But I couldn't remember the end.

The next morning I rolled out of bed at the sound of my alarm, bleary-eyed and still half-asleep. I downed some yogurt, quickly dressed in a sleeveless, high necked shirt, pants and make up, and ran out the door. If I planned the day correctly, I could leave a little early, and what I wanted to know from that stranger would not wait for long. The shimmering mark on my skin hadn't faded.

"Mia, what's wrong with you today?"

I looked up from my computer and realized that I had been staring at it for fifteen minutes without reading a word. Sighing, I smiled up at my supervisor, Steve, who was in his early fifties. "I'm sorry, I didn't sleep very well last night."

He frowned, concern shadowing his face. "Any particular reason why?"

"Not really, bad dreams."

He glanced around at the other cubicles before leaning in and whispering, "Why don't you take a couple days leave. I know you've been working hard. Take a break."

I blinked. Steve was a rather demanding man, always requiring the best of those under his watch, but not to the point of tyrannical. Some of my coworkers would probably disagree with me, but I found him rather charming if he simply loosened up a little. With a more genuine smile, I nodded. "I think I might, sir. Thank you."

He gave me a nod before returning to his second daily 'patrol' of the department. I sighed and stretched my arms, both shoulders popping.

"Sheesh, I hate it when you do that!"

A red head leaned out of the cube across from mine followed by a plump body in a classical wheeled office chair. Grinning, I twisted my back which emitted a string of pops. Carol wrinkled her nose at me. "You know that's bad for you!"

"Well so is that." I pointed at the candy bar in her hand. "I thought you were on a diet."

"I am, I get one treat a day. This is it."

"Uh, huh… You've said that before."

"Mia, not everyone has your metabolism."

I shrugged. "But I don't eat candy all the time."

A wrapper hit me in the head. "Oh phooey on you!"

I laughed softly. "Hey, Carol, Steve said I could take a few days off. Do you think you can handle things around here if I do?"

She made a show of considering my question before groaning dramatically, "I suppose."

"Thanks!"

My spirits considerably lightened, I returned to the insurance claim in front of me.

_I can give you back your dreams._

Like hell he could… Not if he was going to use them against me like that. I was going to get to the bottom of his little fascination with me, my dreams, and my sister.

When I reached the park, it was empty. I circled the bench, searched the perimeter of the grounds, and even looked up in a couple of the trees. All I found were a couple of curious squirrels. Sitting down on the bench, I waited. And I waited.

"Go figure that when I actually want to see him, he doesn't show up." I muttered to myself. "But then again, he started this. If he's so big on games, I would think he would want to know the ending to this one. Big baby that he is about winning." I watched the sun reflect off of my hand decorations. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed. A familiar voice answered,

"Hello?"

"Kay! I was hoping you would pick up."

"Mia? Wow, it's been a while since I've heard from you. What's up?"

"I have a random question for you. Do you remember my ninth birthday party?"

"Um, kinda."

"Do you remember what happened after we finished telling ghost stories?"

"We went to bed."

"That's it?"

"Why?"

"Something has been going on… Someone told me that there was more… that we did more… Or at least, I did. But I can't remember."

"Sorry hun, don't think I can help you there. That was a long time ago."

I sighed, "Yeah, I know – it was a long shot."

Kay was one of the few people who could read my voice. "What's really going on Mia? You sound more upset over this than you should be."

I couldn't take it any longer. I had to tell someone. The mark on my chest began itching again. "It's about Min. And that party. Did you know I've never had a dream ever since then?"

"Uh, okay."

"Well, something has happened, and I'm trying to find out why… I'm trying to remember… but I can't."

"Mia, the accident was right after that party. It's no surprise you don't remember much before that. It's trauma."

Frustrated, I sighed and stood up from the park bench. "I know… it's probably nothing. I've been working hard lately."

"I can come over if you want. Even if you're working, I just finished a big commission, so I can take a day or two off."

I smiled. "That would be great! I'm taking some leave too."

"It'll be just like the old days! How about I come over on Sunday, take Monday and Tuesday off."

"Fine by me, do you want me to pick you up?"

"Nah, I can remember where you live. Be there at four!"

Well, at least some good came out of all the madness. I hadn't seen my best friend in years.

"Enjoying your present?"

I jumped a mile high. He stood behind me, just as arrogant and smug as he had been the day before, only this time he was dressed in a black leather jacket and blood red pants. Looking like a modern-day vampire, he grinned. All my previous anger came roaring back.

"What the hell did you do to me?" I exploded. "What did you put on me?"

"Just a simple spell to help you remember, and then you will help me."

I slapped him. I hadn't even thought about it, my hand came up and moved to hit that smooth, white face without a conscious effort – at least that is what it would have done if he hadn't caught it. His fingers closed around my wrist and squeezed. I gasped as pain shot up to my shoulder.

"Never do that again if you wish to remain in this world." He hissed.

I took a breath to scream as he raised his hand. Before I could let it out, he snapped his fingers and the scenery whirled.


	4. Truth?

Author's Note: I'm not quite feeling the love here peoples. But that's okay because the story is not leaving me alone. You owe my muse a cookie. It's summer though, so I understand laziness though I cannot indulge in it myself.

Truth?

I couldn't breath. The dizziness passed, but my eyes were still shut. Hands reached instinctively for my throat and closed around a wrist. My eyes fluttered open and met the frozen glare of my enemy. In the background I could see my apartment, though I had no idea how he got me here. Did I faint? I never fainted.

The sudden awareness that he was cutting off my air made itself known with the pounding of my pulse in my head. I clawed at his gloved hand, but he didn't budge. Recalling a move I had seen in a movie, I raised my fist and slammed it down in the crook of his elbow and collapsed on the floor when the nerves of his hand were temporarily stunned and he released me. Gasping, I crawled back on the slippery hardwood of my apartment, trying to force my lungs to work double-time.

His voice was tight with anger. "You foolish mortal, no one has ever struck the Goblin King."

"The Goblin King?" I croaked. "You're no king."

He knelt in front of me. "Do not provoke me further, Mia. You're already walking a fine line, saved only by the fact that no one has wished you away."

"Get out of my home, freak!"

He flicked his fingers and an invisible force lifted me off of the floor and pinned me to the wall. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see dark shapes crawling beneath my bed, over the refrigerator, and peek out from the cabinets. A smash of china let me know exactly what they were doing in there. Creatures were swarming through my personal spaces and smashing whatever they could reach. Things I had worked hard to aquire. When one of them picked up my DVD player I couldn't help yelling for it to stop. The ugly thing only sneered and dropped it over the edge of my desk. Fuming I tried to break away from whatever had me immobile.

"Damn you! What are you trying to prove?"

"Prove? That I have power over you."

"You have power over my body, but not my mind and all you're proving is that you're a big baby!"

He only smirked at me with his hand still raised. "Ah, ah, now you are the one throwing a tantrum."

I cringed as one of what I could only assume was a goblin, began struggling to push my television off of the edge of the bookshelf I had put it on. My landlord would be complaining about all this noise. "Stop it! Just stop it!"

The man, Goblin King, drew a glass ball from the air and tossed it in the direction of my last piece of intact electronic equipment. It froze in midair. "Ready to admit my power over you?"

I hissed, "You have no power-"

Before I could finish, he pressed a leather covered finger over my mouth. "Don't finish that sentence."

The look in his eyes was a strange mix of sorrow, pain, and… guilt? Surprise made me comply with his quite request. Instead I asked a question of my own. "Is this how you treat _her_?"

Whatever held me against the wall vanished. I stumbled over to my bed and sat down. I didn't know why I felt almost obligated to help this unnatural person with his love life. There was some subconscious connection that I just could not drag to the surface. The hoard of goblins slowly emerged from their various hiding place and swarmed around their king, yellow eyes staring. I tried to ignore them, focusing solely on the crimson and midnight figure over them. On my island of sanity, I waited, knocking away any creature that dared to try and climb up on my bed with a pillow. Finally he spoke, thoughtfully and with slow deliberation.

"I have decided that love is a disease, an infection of the body. It makes an individual irrational - they do things they would never do – think things they would usually never consider – want things," He turned his fierce gaze on me. "Want things we would never want."

I didn't want to dwell on his implications and pushed on. "But you love her?"

"Yes, as much as it pains me to say."

"Then you have it all wrong. Love is something beautiful. It gives peace and security. It gives comfort. It is a cooperation between individuals. But if you've built everything on lust, then that will never work. Lust is selfish and that will drive things out of control."

He smiled crookedly at me. "You lust after me, don't you? I can feel it, see it. Why not act on it if it means nothing."

My face was most likely bright red, but I pushed my nerves aside. "Because with us 'humans' the meaning is not only in the act but in what emotions and thoughts go on behind it. If you 'cheat' then you break trust. Love is built on trust."

He took a slow step towards me and I hugged my pillow in defense. "No one is here, we're alone, and no one need know."

Raising an eyebrow, I pointed at the gathering at his feet. He sighed and ordered, "Move, you pathetic animals. Go back to the Underground."

They all scattered with screeches and chattering, giving me just enough time to recover from their king's proposal. I had to avoid looking at him as I answered, "I may find you attractive, but I won't act on it because I know that you are interested in someone else. I don't want to invest in a doomed relationship. There's too much hurt involved. Besides," I played with my rings. "You're just looking for something to hang over my head – like the story of that king who lived with a sword hanging over his head on a thread."

He kept advancing till he was right in front of me, hands pressed into the mattress on either side of me. "You've already given me the sword with you're little confession."

I turned my face away, knowing that retreating would only show more weakness. "But I won't let you use it for your sake and mine. You'll be betraying her."

"Look at me." He commanded.

I closed my eyes in silent defiance. He grabbed my chin and forced my head to tilt up. "Look at me, Mia."

I opened my eyes and glared up into those fascinatingly dual colored eyes. I remembered more now – this man who had made me play his game to rescue my sister. I had succeeded, I knew that had to have happened if he had let me go, but I didn't remember how. Going by his past behavior, he was a sore loser. But for some unfathomable reason, he had come to me for help. At this point, I didn't really care why, I just wanted it to be over and done with. If he was serious about being in love with this unknown girl, he would have to take what I said with an adult attitude and get over this petty lording. He started to smile in triumph before I voiced my second revelation about him.

"You know what your problem is? You take too much for granted."

That startled him. "What?"

"You take for granted that that woman will take you as you are – spoiled, selfish, and arrogant. You take for granted that everyone will simply bow to your command, or that you can force them to with your magic, like you pinned me to the wall. But that's not true." I pulled my chin out of his hand. "You say you love her, you could give her everything you want, anything she wants, but what if she wants nothing? What if she wants to be left alone after what you did. Are you powerful enough to just let her go?"

He jerked away from me and turned his back. "She would never want that."

"How do you know? By the record, she's been saying 'no.' Can't you take a hint?"

"I've seen it in her dreams. I've heard her voice, the longing that she hides."

_He had taken her dreams too? Just as he had taken mine? She had won the game?_

"Then why would she be refusing you?"

He frowned over his shoulder at me but I continued. "Perhaps it isn't enough that you're the Goblin King." I raised an eyebrow. "What is your name anyway?"

He looked rather peeved that I didn't know. "Jareth. And you're saying that I have to change for her whims? But I'm the Goblin King!"

I shrugged. "Love changes people, like you said. If there is love between you two, then you'll change, and she'll change to make your relationship work, or perhaps you'll find that it doesn't work. One way or another, it's a dangerous game – one that you have to be willing to lose if that is what your partner wants."

He stared at me for a long moment. I sighed internally. Really I had no emotional background in this field. Everything was based on observation and logic. The last time I had given him 'advice' it had led into this mess. Well, maybe this time it could lead me out of it. His face was carefully blank as he leaned over me and I mentally cursed the blush on my face.

"Mia, you are quite a fascinating individual. If there hadn't been Sarah, I think I might have been interested in you."

_Sarah?_

All the memories came back - the party, the storytelling, the Labyrinth that Sarah Williams had recited, the wishing, and the race. I had won, but barely. I had nearly lost my life in the process and I had sworn never to be spiteful towards Min again, and then she had been killed. After everything, I lost her again, and that time there would be no last words to bring her back.

"You have no power over me." I whispered.

Jareth only smiled sadly. "No, I do not. There are only a few who have beaten me, and how coincidental that two met by chance at a birthday gathering. It had been quite some time since I had felt such a pull of imagination." He gently kissed me on the forehead. "You made me truly feel like the Goblin King when you gave up your dreams for your sister."

He stepped away and twisted his wrist, rolling a crystal over his fingertips. I felt something wet on my face and realized I was crying. Jareth gracefully flipped the sphere in my direction and I held out my hand to catch it. Blissful darkness descended once again.

Author's Note: One more chapter, I do believe. I hope this chapter is satisfactory. I know it was a lot of talking, but there was a lot to be said. Please review!


	5. Honesty?

Honesty?

The sheets were tangled around my waist. With a moan, I tugged at them, trying to move the lump that had gathered under my stomach.

_It's only forever… not long at all._

_The king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl…_

_Fear me, love me, do as I say…_

_Look without your heartbeat…_

_I can't live without you…_

The words drifted in and out of my consciousness. I couldn't get comfortable. The smashing of thunder outside my window jerked me fully awake. Looking at my dresser, I couldn't find the glowing red digits of my clock. All the past events flooded in to my foggy memory and I flopped back against my pillow. I was still in my cloths from the day before, my apartment in ruins, and I was being stalked by a goblin king named Jareth. Well, 'stalked' was probably too strong a word for whatever he was doing. It would more suit the tabs he kept on Sarah Williams.

"_I know this story about goblins. My mom gave me it."_ Sarah, a natural actress, had stood up in front of the sleeping bags and preformed the entire tale.

"It was out of a book. A play in this world, yet not in his. But why?" I mused to the ceiling. "The lines said that he had fallen in love with 'the girl'. But what's the meaning to that if any girl can pick it up and read it." Yet he said that he _was_ in love with Sarah.

The thunder cracked again and I peeked under the window shade. Rain was beating down the sidewalks and streets below. In the yellow street lamps, I could see the wind ripple the falling water into sheets. Softly I sang, "Rain, rain go away, come again some other day." But nothing happened.

It was a book. Did he say he loved every girl who wished someone away? Did he sing the same songs to each, leading them down a double-edged path? I closed my eyes and tried to remember.

"_Mia, I must say that you are the most reckless child to ever run my labyrinth. To think you found the Bottomless Canyon and managed to fall into it. And to think that you tried to climb my walls with nothing but your hands. Were you really that desperate?"_

_I was on my knees in front of the throne. My hands were shaking, scraped and blistered as I clutched the sleeping form of my sister. "I wasn't going to let you have her. It was unfair. I didn't know that the story was true."_

"_Words are dangerous. Remember that." Jareth had stood over us, tapping his black riding crop against his leg. "Now, what to do with you."_

_I struggled to lift Min, my thin nine-year-old arms not strong enough to carry a stocky six-year-old. I wanted to run, to hide. I had fifteen minutes left. Maybe I could hide long enough to find a way home._

"_Tisk, tisk, Mia, it doesn't work that way. Words brought you here, and words can send you home. But is that what you want?"_

"_Yes." I whispered, still struggling. I finally managed to sling Min's arms over my shoulders and heave her onto my back. "I have to go home."_

"_Don't you want your birthday present?"_

_He held out a crystal sphere. "This is no gift for an ordinary girl. This holds your dreams, dreams that you can live whenever you like. But it is too valuable to take without an exchange."_

_I only looked at him, the weight of my sister making my legs ache. _

"_Leave her, and you can have anything you want."_

"_I want my sister."_

"_You want more than that." He touched the crystal to my face and I caught flashes of a silver unicorn, a warm beach, and magnificent jewelry guarded by an angry dragon. Things that any dreamer would fanaticize about. "This can be yours."_

_I was tempted, strongly tempted, but the quite breathing of my sibling in my ear reminded me that this was all my fault. I had said the words. I had given in to petty hate, and this was my punishment. I would accept it._

_He must have seen the change in my eyes. He knew my choice before I opened my mouth and only sighed._

"_You have no power over me."_

He could not love a nine-year-old. He could not fairly say he loved anyone who ran his labyrinth, those were just words. But he had told me that they were dangerous. My thoughts were running in circles and in exasperation, I buried my head under my pillow. I wouldn't care anymore. It was a good thing that tomorrow was Saturday because I was getting absolutely no sleep, other than whatever spell he threw at me. Sighing, I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, just now realizing that I still wore my shoes. Kicking them off, I walked over to my kitchenette and opened the cabinet for a glass. They were all broken.

In a burst of worn frustration, I slammed the cabinet shut and ignored the chiming of glass as a few pieces slipped into the sink below. I turned on the faucet and cupped my hands beneath the flow. The dim light from the window gave enough illumination that I could see that Jareth hadn't cleaned up after himself.

"I hope that Sarah teaches him some housekeeping manners." I muttered.

_Would he come back?_ The thought popped into my head without any warning.

Why did I care? The man had trashed my home, tormented me with my own memories, and given me absolutely nothing in return.

_He gave you your dreams_. But I had been getting along fine without them. I argued. Not like they were his to take anyway. What gave him the right to take them? I never asked that, even if I asked that he take Min.

_What makes _her_ so special anyway? Why…_ It was a bitter and selfish thought, but I just couldn't help myself. _Why not me?_

I had beaten his game too. I had faced him, I had said the same lines, and I had fallen for that other-worldly beauty, just as I'm sure many other girls had before me. But I had turned away from it, and so had Sarah. Why then was he so obsessed with winning her over?

"Stop it, just stop it." I whispered to myself in self-loathing. "You're being stupid and petty. That's what started this, and you don't want to do it all over again."

The doubt and questioning still lingered, but I kicked it aside. That other half of me still whispered, _You're still human – you can fall again_.

And that, perhaps, was the heart of it.

The next morning dawned crystal and clean. Water clung to everything, washing the pavement, soaking up the sun and throwing it back in sparkles. My heart was still heavy in my chest. The mark of the owl had faded and I pulled on a tank top and jeans before heading out to the store. Today would be all about fixing the damaged done last night. It would also mean that I would be living off of slim pickings and my savings if I wanted to replace my entertainment center. Best bet for new china would be a thrift store.

Arms loaded with new housewarming items, I returned to my apartment an hour after lunch. To my surprise, someone was waiting for me.

"Kay?"

My friend looked up from her book from where she stood leaning against the wall. Her hair was dyed a rich deep red that matched oddly with her light brown, nearly gold colored eyes. She wore her characteristic painted jeans and a tight black t-shirt. She smiled, snapping the hardback book closed and pushing off the wall.

"Hey Mia! Thought I would surprise you and come early. Didn't have anything else to do."

Thinking of the mess inside, I tried to smile back. "Well, you didn't give me time to clean up."

"No biggie. Can't be worse than me." She took the box containing new drinking glasses and frowned. "What's up?"

I fumbled with my keys at the door and tried to find an answer. "I kinda had a vandalism yesterday. I'm replacing a lot of stuff."

"You what?"

The door swung open to reveal a spotless apartment. Kay raised an eyebrow at me. Dropping my bags on the floor, I raced to the cabinet and flung it open. Nothing, it was all perfect and intact. My DVD player and television were on their shelves, and even the bed was made.

"Mia, honey, you've turned white."

"This – this was all a mess when I left this morning. All of it was trashed!"

"You're joking right?"

"He's laughing at me. I know he is." I growled. "Damn him."

"Who?"

"Jareth."

Kay stared at me for a long moment and set her box down. "Girl, you aren't making any sense. First you ask about your birthday a dozen years ago, and now you're seeing things."

I gave her a look. "You know me Kay. I have to have proof, and I've had a whole lot of it dumped on me in the last week."

"Proof of what?"

"Do you remember that story, the Labyrinth? A girl named Sarah Williams told it to us at my birthday party."

Kay smiled. "Yeah, it actually gave me nightmares."

"It did?" We had told far scarier stories that night. "What kind of nightmare?"

"That you were in trouble. You were falling and I couldn't reach you. And there was a huge white bird that looked like it was going to eat you."

I couldn't take it anymore. Sitting down in my leather chair, I put my head between my knees and groaned. Kay quickly shut the door and moved to kneel next to me.

"Mia! Hey – what on earth is wrong?"

"It's all true. I don't know how, but it's true."

"That story?"

"Yes."

"But…"

I turned to look at her. "I remember everything. I asked him to take Min. I ran his maze and I won, but he's come back. He wants me to help him get a girlfriend."

Kay stared at me for a moment before her face began looking rather strained.

"What, it's true!"

The side of her mouth twitched. "Yeah, but… a goblin king wants romance tips?"

Wirily I smiled back. "Yeah, kinda crazy isn't it?"

She broke out laughing, rocking back until she sat down on the floor. I couldn't help but join her. We laughed, for absolutely no real reason, we just laughed out of companionship, comfort, and just because we could. I felt a huge shadow fade away in my heart.

Wiping her eyes, Kay swallowed her last giggles and pushed on. "So, the story is true? Then why did he come to you?"

"He wants my help."

"Why you?"

"Because he wants another girl who also beat his Labyrinth – Sarah Williams."

Gold brown eyes blinked. "Random."

"I know." I sighed, looking at all my purchases from earlier, wondering if the stores would take them all back. "And now you're here – I'm beginning to wonder if it's more than coincidence."

"Mia, I don't remember a whole lot. I mean, your sister died two nights later. It kinda wiped all that out."

"But we were all there, on that night, and now he's back. He wants _her_."

She looked at a spot of paint on her tennis shoe. "You don't owe him anything. If he's bugging you so much, just kick him out."

"I tried. That's what got this place trashed." I glanced around the room. "Or, was trashed." I twisted the ring on my left hand idly before frowning. "Kay, you're taking this strangely well. If it were me, I would have called the loony bin a while ago."

She was silent for a long moment before answering, "For some reason, it's not that hard for me to believe. I mean, if it were anyone else, I would have been outta here in two seconds. But you and I have known each other for too long. I know when you're telling the truth or not. And the way you sounded… You couldn't have been making it up."

"So now what?"

"Well, he'll probably be back… maybe."

She gave me a long look and pushed back her red hair. "Do you like him?"

"What?" I stalled.

"This goblin king – do you like him? You never have this much difficulty deciding what to do over any guy you didn't like."

"He's…" I hated the term, but it was all I could come up with. "Hot."

A grin burst on my friend's face. "Ha! I knew it!"

"But a complete jerk."

Kay shrugged. "That and he's fixated on someone else. But do you like him other than his looks?"

I frowned and considered my past conversations with Jareth. Silence fell over the apartment. With a long, drawn out sigh, I answered, "No. But I just can't stop wanting to help him."

Kay shook her head. "Sounds like you have your own fixation to deal with. You need to stop, or find something else to fixate on."

I couldn't help poking some fun at her to break the tension. "If you saw him, you'd have the same problem."

"Don't count on it." Kay smirked. "I have a boyfriend. Problem solved." She sobered. "So what _will_ you do if he comes back?"

I smiled sadly. "I'll try and help him."

Author's Note: So now I'm not sure where I'm headed with this. Possibly last chapter, but I've had a plea from Sparkle E. Slug not to, and who sent a plate of cookies and lemonade. So if my characters cooperate, I may be back.

Thank you: Midnight Lady, Fish (I'm flattered that you think everyone is 'real'), Candace Erinn, Nugrey (I'm glad my time-shifting worked, I was worried about that), asn water, Glass of water (are you two related?), dark prediction, and Lady of the Labyrinth.


	6. Wish?

Author's Note: Wow, the comments begging to continue really surprised me. I have sketchy ideas, so I'll continue till inspiration hits again. Thank you for the encouragement! In all honesty, Mia is what I would probably be like if I ever met Jareth. New character introduction… And more linking to the movie.

Wish?

Since Kay hadn't eaten lunch, I scrambled some eggs for her mixed with cheese and certain seasonings - my specialty. She told me about her newest show, mixing sculpture with her painting, and I asked about her last commission.

"It was an absolutely huge portrait. You know that usually I don't do those, but this rich person wanted me to do a picture of her, but in really abstract colors." Kay laughed. "I couldn't say no to the money, and she gave me free choice, so I took it. Turned out kinda cool, if I do say so myself."

I scrapped the eggs out of the pan and onto a plate. "Where was she going to put it?"

"She wanted it for her new house… some place in the high-class area where people buy those giant houses and are never really home to enjoy them." Kay took the plate from me and dug in without preamble. "So, this goblin king… he wanted you to help him win over another girl?"

"Yes."

"Rather insensitive of him, don't you think?"

I shrugged.

"You ever meet her?"

"Other than the birthday party you mean?" I shook my head, "It was Jess's friend. She went to a different school."

There was a period of silence, save for the scraping of a fork against a plate. Kay finished the last of the eggs in record time and sighed. "Man, I was starved!" She looked around the apartment. "Girl, you need some color in here. It's bleak."

"I'm at work most of the time. Doesn't bother me."

"I could send you some of my fun stuff – the ones that no one would be interested in buying."

"Oh _that's_ nice." I smiled crookedly.

"You know what I mean. But anyway, it seems to me like this goblin-man is full of crap."

I blinked. "What?"

"Well, the dude clearly has issues with women, do you want to help him win over Sarah? Is he even worth her time? You don't know. You don't owe him anything."

"Kay, I haven't dreamed till he said he gave them back to me. He had a crystal and he somehow gave me the ability to dream again."

"Well, I don't think he has anything on you. They were your dreams in the first place."

"But I gave him authority because I wished Min away."

"You didn't know it was true – heck, it might still not be true."

"You want to test that?" Usually I wasn't this impulsive, but the irritation that had been building with Kay's logical argument made me want to prove to her what I had been going through. But I wasn't foolish. This was going to require some very careful working. Taking a deep breath, I announced, "I wish to see the goblin king."

Of course he didn't appear in front of me, it was his nature to twist the rules. He spoke from behind me. "That was a very dangerous and careless thing to do, Mia."

I turned and put my hands on my hips. "I want to know what you really want."

"Mia? Is he here?"

I looked at Kay, who was staring at me, and then the corner where Jareth leaned against the wall. But she wasn't looking at him more than looking through him and I realized what he had done. Stomping my foot, I growled, "Jareth, let her see you."

"Why? You are the one who wished to see me, not her."

"You know what I meant."

"Do I?"

Kay, fortunately picked up on my conversation and announced herself, "I wish to see the goblin king." She took a step back and stared. "Wow, Mia, you might be right. I could pass up Bryan for a bit."

Jareth gave her a self-confident smirk. "Ah, the sarcastic one – I am surprised, actually, that you are so skeptical. You are an artist, and thus more imaginative, so why is it so difficult for you to accept your friend's word?"

Kay was still looking him over as she answered, "Because I needed evidence to back up my theories."

He had chosen to wear a chocolate colored leather jacket with pieces of thick leather formed like armor over his shoulders. The double-breasted front was low enough to show midnight blue lace and pale skin. Gray leggings showed off lean, muscular legs, and… well I deliberately diverted my eyes back up to his face. He did it on purpose.

"Why did you call me?" He tapped a black riding whip against my shelves. "I hope you mean to thank me for cleaning your little cubbyhole of a home."

I ignored his insult and opened my mouth to ask him about Sarah. He raised gloved hand to cut me off while looking at Kay. "Ah, you were also there that night. I remember you wouldn't obey my spell to keep you asleep. You followed your friend in your dreams. Another dangerous trick – if you had become lost, you would have never woken up."

Kay's eyes widened. "You… you were that white owl. You were trying to save Mia."

"And for that, she owes me her assistance."

She stared at Jareth and I couldn't read her face. He turned to me and gave me a mock bow. "Ah, my Mia, did you forget? I do not act without expecting something in exchange."

"But how could you know that you'd need her help?" Kay snapped. "I don't think you can see the future, goblin or not."

He smirked. "No, I cannot, but I know that favors come in very handily. And it just so happens that I need one from an Upper-worlder."

I finally broke my silence. "You want me to tell you how to win over another human woman, but it's more than just words and actions. You have to be able to give up a part of yourself, to trust and be trusted in return."

His eyes narrowed.

My mind began to roll and the pieces came together. "I told you before, to be honest. And I told you that love was built on trust. Add to that list, respect, patience, and selflessness."

He waved the riding whip lazily. "Is that all?"

His casual acceptance of the elements that completely contradicted his present nature caught me off guard. Frowning, I answered, "I think so."

"Good, because you are coming with me."

"What!" Kay and I exclaimed in unison.

With a snap of his whip against the wall, the entire apartment blacked out. I felt something press in all around me, a warm, damp aura. Panicked, I reached out into the darkness and cautiously called out, "Kay? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I'm here." She let out a string of curses. "I guess he's the real thing."

I tried to move towards her voice. "Keep talking, I can't see a thing."

"Okay, um… I once had a dog named Lucky. My mom is convinced I'm going to kill myself with paint fumes. I just tell her I like the high. Bryan is going to be back next week from his road trip to see his parents. And something really gross just touched my arm."

"What kind of gross."

"Wet and warm, like… like a tongue and it's… licking me! Ew!"

Before I could respond, I felt the same warm wetness touch my ankle. Jerking away, I tripped and fell backward into something fleshy. I had the wild impression of being inside a giant mouth. _Please don't tell me that I just tripped over teeth!_

There were some muffled noises nearby, and I froze. With a loud grumbling, a seam of white light appeared to my right. I could see Kay just opposite me, and the thing that had been touching us. Two long, thick tentacles were curling along the floor of whatever cavern we had been put in. The sight of them made my entire skin crawl on its own. Kay and I traded one look before diving for the opening.

We landed ungracefully on grass. We were in front of a rather quaint house, with a nice porch, pale blue boarding, and Victorian-style detailing. The rumbling behind us drew our gaze down to a giant stone head emerging from the ground. We had been in the mouth of a massive creature that seemed to swim through the soil. The grass _rippled_ around it. There were no facial features except for two black eyes that did not blink, and the seam that served as its lips. With one final grumble, the thing sank under the yard and vanished.

Kay whimpered, "I need a shower."

I voiced my second concern. "Where are we?"

The door to the house opened and a woman came out on the porch. Her long, dark hair fell over her shoulders and even from my angle on the ground I could see that her eyes were a piercing green. Wiping her hands on the hips of her jeans, she asked, "Can I help you two?"

"Um," I scrambled to my feet. "I don't know. We were kinda dropped off here by a guy named Jareth."

She went completely white. "Jareth?"

Kay huffed. "Yeah, weird guy, says he's the goblin king."

She continued to stare at us. I couldn't blame her. Trying to smile, I introduced us, "My name is Mia and this is my friend Kay. We managed to get pulled into something with this guy."

She finally managed a smile in return. "I'm Sarah."

Author's Note: Thank's Midnight Lady – you sparked an idea! However, I love to throw in twists that no one expects, so I plan to have some big ups and downs coming. Jessica Arbuckle – you are rather amusing :) but I named this story Third Wheel for a reason. But I may change my mind later, you never know. Nugrey, I really enjoy your reviews. You explain the elements you like, and I find that very valuable. And thank you Moonjava.


	7. Dreamcatcher

Author's Note: Thank you, faithful reviewrs! Ok, so this time, there will actually be an entirely new character. In all honesty, he was inspired by Nugrey's Pivot story. Hope you don't mind if I take a spin on your idea, Nugrey, but they say that imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Dreamcatcher

_A beautiful white body moved beneath me, sleek and warm. Vibrant green countryside passed in a blur, and I felt the smooth rhythm of hooves gather in speed. I had no saddle and no fear as the creature ran and ran, silky white mane slipping through my fingers. With a whinny, my partner tossed his head and I caught the flash of a pearly white horn as he turned to cast a questioning look at me. With a laugh, I leaned forward, encouraging him to continue. The muscles in the unicorn's back tensed as he prepared to leap across a small stream. We left the ground for a breathless moment before I slipped and landed in a pile of freshly cut grass. The unicorn bent his head to push my shoulder with his nose. Lying on my back, I gently stroked his thick pink lips and brushed at the loose white hairs that caught on his whiskers. A glassy blue eye fixed on me. _

_You are amazing, Mia._

_The voice came from everywhere, but for some reason didn't startle me. "Hmm?" I questioned. _

_The unicorn folded his legs to bed down next to me._

_You continued, even without dreams, to make a fairly decent life for yourself. Many simply give up and waste away._

_I smiled up at the cloudless sky. "I had friends and family that kept me going."_

_And you are fortunate for such. But do not think only with your head. _

"_What do you mean?"_

_My unworldly friend stretched his nose out to touch my face._

_You converted to logic. But passion cannot be ruled by reason. Remember that._

_My heart began to pound. Sitting up in the grass, I looked at what I thought had been part of my new-found imagination. The creature calmly looked back, eyes keenly intelligent._

"_Who are you?"_

The dream faded away. I became aware of a fierce pain in my neck, and gingerly rolled from my side onto my back, and remembered that I had fallen asleep on Sarah William's couch. My eyes popped open and sought out the two figures on the nearby sofa-chair and floor, wrapped in blankets. We had been up till the early hours of the morning talking about what had possibly been going on. Sarah had been reasonably distressed that her suitor had gone and dragged two childhood acquaintances into her situation. As she had put it,

"We weren't even really friends. I knew Jess better than either of you, so why isn't she here?"

Wincing, I sat up on the couch and rubbed the soreness from my neck. Tip-toeing out of the living room, I sought out the bathroom. When I emerged, Kay was just waking.

"Hey." I greeted softly. "You sleep okay?"

She nodded, but didn't say anything in return. I pointed over my shoulder. "Bathroom's back there."

She yawned and rubbed her eyes while passing me. Sarah was still asleep, a slight frown between her brows. It hadn't been the best of evenings for any of us, all the explanations, the story checks, and trading experiences. Jareth had been coming back off and on again over the last two years. The last one, under my advice of being honest, he had been a bit of a juvenile, showing up in her mirror, stating, "I love you" and expecting it all to be perfect.

_How very like him_. I mused.

Sarah, needless to say, had been rather insulted, and told him off. I couldn't help smiling at the thought. _No wonder he was so mad when he came to see me. And then I turned around and told him off too_.

We also figured out that Sarah lived a whole state away. It was good that I had the next two days off. Perhaps I could stretch my leave for another two… just in case. With a small groan, I stretched, rising up onto the balls of my feet, raising my arms up, and listening to my shoulders pop. The sound woke my new/old friend.

"Morning! Are you hungry?"

I smiled and looked at my watch. "Well, more like, afternoon, but sure, I'm starved!"

She blinked. "What time is it?"

"Twelve-thirty, and we must have been up till three."

With a shadow of a frown, Sarah gathered the blankets and dumped them on the couch. "I'll fix something to eat. If you want, I have extra towels and stuff in the closet upstairs. Feel free to take a shower and clean up."

"Are you okay with sharing deodorant and such?"

Kay spoke up behind me. "Well we're all girls here, so I'm fine with it."

Sarah smiled. "We'll go shopping after we eat."

There was a period of domestic chaos as the three of us tried to put together a meal. Sarah's parents were on vacation, taking Toby with them. Over sandwiches and cans of soda, we silently regarded one another. Kay finally gave in,

"So, Jareth wants Mia to help him win you over."

Sarah's green eyes fixed on me, and I picked at the crust on my bread. "Well, he wanted my advice. Then he got the idea that I was some expert, when I've never even really had a boyfriend."

"What did you tell him?" Her voice was dry.

"I said that women didn't like to be taken for granted – that love is built on respect, honesty, trust, and patience."

Sarah sniffed. "All of those that he is not."

"But I don't think he knew to even try. I mean, he's a king! He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth."

"But that's the problem. He wants to rule me, and I won't let him."

I stared at Sarah for a moment and realized that they were very much alike. Sarah was proud, independent, and free spirited. Jareth was exactly the same way, save for his magic. If opposites attracted, then it was no wonder that they kept pushing each other away. But perhaps…

"Could you just try?"

"Try what?"

"Try to give him a chance to prove himself to you? Let him take you out on a date, no strings attached?"

She smiled without humor. "There are always strings attached with the goblin king."

"But he seemed genuine; he just doesn't know how to act around you. And I don't think you do either. But perhaps if you can find a neutral ground… start on the same level, you can work it out."

"Such as where?"

I looked at Kay, who shook her head. "Um, I dunno."

"The dream world is an equal setting for human and non-human." A voice spoke from nowhere.

We all jumped, Kay standing so quickly that her chair fell over.

"Reactions to my appearance will never cease to entertain me." The voice came again.

"You haven't appeared yet." Kay growled.

"Oh, forgive me," In the middle of the kitchen table appeared a figure dressed in a white pants, shirt, and pale blue vest, with midnight black hair that fell boyishly over impossibly blue eyes. He was almost human, except for a pale golden star that marked his forehead and pointed ears. The kitchen light made him look like a pop star as he stretched himself out on one hip and elbow, facing me, along the length of the table and introduced himself. "I am Alucinor, a dream gatherer."

Something about his eyes made me feel like I'd known him before, but most definitely would have remembered someone with his looks. He caught my confused stare, and returned it with a slightly wistful smile. Sitting up abruptly, the newcomer turned his attention to Kay.

"Ah, the fortunate one – you were very lucky not to have lost your talent to the king."

Kay raised an eyebrow. "Dream gatherer?"

"The Underground thrives on dreams. Humans create them, use them, remember them, but do not hold on to them. I take them and supply them to my king." He pulled out a bag and opened it. Inside were a couple dozen marbles, all different colors. He lifted one of vivid orange, and held it out to Kay. "This was your latest creation, and I must say, you are quite inventive."

Kay reached out to take it, but Alucinor drew it back. "Ah, no touching, or I lose my dream. I have a quota to fill."

He turned to Sarah, frowning. "And you had some delightful dreams, before I was forced to take all of them from you. That crystal shined so brightly when I presented it to His Majesty."

Sarah's mouth was open in shock. "You – you took my dreams?"

Alucinor dropped the orange marble back into his bag and tucked it into his vest. "Well, the king gives me the authority and power to. I can't run around taking everyone's dreams on a whim."

His eyes danced over to me, before returning to Sarah. This time I remembered. "You were there last night."

He hesitated.

"You spoke to me, you said -"

He held up his hand and spoke to Sarah. "You want to stand on equal ground with King Jareth. If he agrees, I can take you and him to a dreamscape for a night."

Sarah buried her face in her hands and moaned, "I don't know!"

Alucinor gracefully leapt off of the table, hardly making a sound when he touched the floor, and knelt in front of her. Drawing her hands down, his voice was warm and soothing, "Sarah, lady, I have known the king for some time now, and never have I seen him act the way he has over you. He is strange, he is powerful, but he does care about you."

Sarah tried to smile. "Yet the Labyrinth stands between us."

"But if it didn't?"

"Then I might try."

He grinned, looked very much like a little boy. I interrupted by blurting, "You were the unicorn!" A blush immediately took over my face.

"Yes I was. And I must say that that was a most delightful dream of yours."

I grabbed at the bits of new information. "You took Sarah's dreams; does that mean that you took mine as well?"

His face fell. "I only did my duty. But neither crystals went to the Underground – King Jareth kept them personally. Which is why he was able to give them back."

"But why would he do that? He didn't know that he would need them."

He shrugged, "Whatever is put in, can be taken out. Just because you do not have dreams, does not mean that they are not formed by thought." His face was suddenly very close, eyes diving deep into mine. "I have watched your dreams for a long time."

My own stubbornness rose and I didn't look away even though embarrassment at what he may have seen had me clenching the seat of my chair. I wasn't naïve. I knew that some thoughts were less than pure, and vented themselves in various ways. Alucinor's implications made me more uncomfortable than I thought possible. When his eyes dipped to my mouth, they left no doubt as to what he was thinking. My anger spiked and I pushed my chair away from him.

Sarah sighed from behind his shoulder. "I guess it's only fair that I give him a chance. Considering all the trouble he's caused with bringing you here, the least I can do is try."

I stood and began gathering the leftovers of lunch.

Author's Note: So let me know what you think of this new development! Do you like Alucinor? I was going to name him Morpheus, the god of dreams, but there was too much of a Matrix overlay for me to take him seriously.


	8. Betrayal?

Author's Note: Thank you for your observations Midnight Lady. I knew that Alucinor was not quite all 'there' and have been pondering ways to make him more real. Hope this works.

Betrayal?

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon. Everyone went about their own business, trying to push the coming work day to the back of their minds while cutting the grass, weeding front gardens, or playing with their children up and down the sidewalks. I sat out on Sarah's front porch swing, enjoying the summer breeze, and wondering about the outcome of all the twists my life had taken. With the return of my dreams, I suddenly found my mind darting off onto crazy subjects and possibilities. Things I never took notice of, because it had no impact on me personally, now became things of curiosity. I found myself considering dozens of new hobbies, and two dozen new career changes. The flood of information and thought were rapidly giving me a headache.

Kay had gone to the nearby convenience store to buy the necessities of daily life. Sarah had gone to her weekend job at a coffee shop downtown. I opted to stay home. Alucinor had vanished not long after his introduction, promising that he would consult his king, and return in the evening.

"Dream gatherer… what the heck?" I muttered, pushing one toe off of the porch to keep the swing moving.

"After everything that's happened to you, you still don't believe?"

I looked up to find Jareth leaning against the porch railing, dressed in a simple dark blue silk shirt, and black pants. Alucinor stood just behind him, looking slightly distressed. I was too weary of surprises to even blink twice.

"Goblin king, you could have just left me alone. I was doing fine until you came and screwed things up. I didn't need my dreams, I didn't even really remember Sarah, and I didn't need you to come back and reaffirm that my sister died for absolutely no reason."

Jareth's eyes were shadowed and for a moment I thought I saw something like pity in them. "I have no hand in the events of the Overworld. I only do what I must. Your sister's death was most unfortunate, but do not hold a grudge against me."

"Why shouldn't I? I beat you, and then lost my prize."

His lip curled. "And now you're going to whine that 'it's not fair'. Please, spare me."

I returned his glare and snapped, "Why are you here?"

Alucinor broke in, most likely to keep our hostilities at a minimal. "His majesty has agreed to the meeting in a dream world. But there are certain rules that should be observed by Sarah. I was hoping you could coach her."

With a groan, I buried my head in my arms. "Look, I already _told_ you what I thought you should do. But the last time I gave you advice, it came back to bite me. You did it all wrong and then blamed me for your problems. So forgive me if I seem reluctant to go through that again!"

"It is rather _cruel_ to ask you to assist a rival to win my affections." Jareth's cool voice replied. "To be expected -"

My head shot up. "Rival? Sarah a rival over you? I think not, goblin king."

He raised an eyebrow. "Then you think yourself so highly above her? Do you think you can win my attentions just as well as she?"

I ignored the pleading looks of Alucinor and ran a hand through my hair in complete exasperation. "This is your problem! You are so gosh, darn focused on you, that you won't look to help someone else. What does Sarah want? Do you know what she likes to do in her free time? Do you know what she hopes for in her future? Have you ever actually _talked_ to her, instead of haunting her dreams, watching her from treetops, or just plain stalking her?"

_Not like you really know her either. You only met her again less than twenty-four hours ago. _The logical voice in me whispered. _Maybe he's right. Maybe you are jealous_.

When I looked up, Jareth was gone. I shifted my gaze to the sad blue eyes of Alucinor, the golden star on his forehead hidden under his bangs.

"I take it back." He leaned against the rail. "You did not wither when your dreams were taken, but you buried your heart and forgot about it."

To my surprised, my entire body flinched at his words. "Why do you say that?"

With grace that matched the goblin king's, the dream gatherer slipped onto the swing next to me. "You have your own ending for this story. You want two things – one, that you will stop feeling so alone, and two, that there will be no change."

I drew a knee up to my chest and rested my chin on it. His legs were longer and easily kept the swing in motion so I simply let him take control. "How do you know?"

"I watched your dreams, remember Mia? Your head is full of reason and logic. Honesty screams at you, but you're bleeding on the inside from feelings of betrayal. That is why," He turned to look at me, face set. "Your relationships, no matter how long you have had them, or how close someone becomes, you still hold back."

My chest hurt and I had to look away. Trying to cover up the pain that his words stirred, I said casually, "It's rather unfair that you know all these things just by gathering dreams."

"It is what I do."

Trying to rebuild my confidence, I shrugged. "Well, all my relationships with guys were all on friendships that were doomed from the start. And I wasn't betrayed. I saw it coming."

"And your sister?"

"What about her?"

"Don't tell me that you weren't the least bit angry that you beat the Labyrinth, only to lose her in the end." Alucinor's gaze hadn't wavered for an instant from my face. "That is the betrayal that you feel."

The pain in my chest doubled, and I suddenly had a hard time breathing. I wanted to reach over and slap the knowledge and the pity out of his eyes. It was true… not that I would ever tell anyone. And it was illogical to be angry at Min, I knew that too. But I had sacrificed my dreams and nearly my life to save her, only to have some drunk driver smash her in the back seat of our car two days later.

"Have you ever heard of something called privacy?" I bit out. "Dreams are personal. What gave you the right to look at mine?"

He shrugged, the wind playing with his hair and letting the gold mark peek through. "It's my job."

"But why mine? Why not anyone else's? Why is it always me – or someone close to me? That's how this all got started and I never asked for it!"

"That is a question everyone asks. There is no real answer, you just deal with it."

We sat in silence for a time, listening to the squeals of two children across the street as they played in the yard sprinkler. The swing creaked now and then and I tried to ignore the strange, but still handsome man next to me.

"Don't." He said softly.

"Don't what?"

"Don't push me away. I can feel it – you're using that logic of yours as a wall."

My anger was getting tired. "Then stop playing around in my head."

"I'm not. Remember that I'm not from your world. Asking me to stop sensing dreams is like asking you to stop breathing."

"I'm not dreaming. It's the middle of the afternoon."

Alucinor smiled. "You're stopping a daydream."

"I am?"

"Do you want to know what it was?"

I started to frown as he slid closer to me on the swing. "Not real-"

He leaned in, ignoring my obvious flinch, and breathed into my ear, "You were wondering how sensitive my ears were, and then how your own would feel, if someone were to do this…" He gently closed his lips around the outer edge of my ear, nibbling down to the bottom. Delicious shivers shot through me. When he moved back upwards, I managed to pull away, face on fire, and breathless. He smiled.

The only thing I could think of to say was, "That tickled."

The smile widened as he drew back. "You should let your mind wander a little more freely. You never know what might come of it."

"You get a thrill out of people's fantasies, don't you." I muttered, still trying to regain control over my blush and heart rate, I searched for a new topic. "So, what were the rules you wanted to tell Sarah?"

Alucinor leaned back in the swing, laughing at my first comment. "Only yours, dear Mia, but as to the rules of the dream world, it is really only a matter of control. I will create a setting, but neither of them can try and force a change. If they do, then the dream will be over."

"Is this dangerous?"

His smile dimmed. "Only if they get violent, however, I think they hold one another with enough respect to keep from physical harm. Verbal tongue lashing will be unavoidable, unless they find a mutual agreement."

I sighed. "Well I think I've done all I can." I stood up from the swing and headed into the house.

He looked away, "We shall see."

The tone of his voice made me hesitate at the front door. "Alucinor," He smiled at his name like a little boy. "Why were you so interested in my dreams? I never knew you existed – I completely forgot about the Labyrinth until Jareth came back, so why did you pick my dreams?"

The dark haired man sighed, "I follow Jareth everywhere. And when I am not with him, I am still gathering dreams. But like he said, when the five of you were together that night, the power of your imaginations was something I haven't felt in a long time. Sarah caught the king's attention, but you were something more to me. And when I took your ability to dream, I still watched over you, watched you continue to live, grow, and even thrive after a fashion."

He stood and approached me. Before I could step back, he bent and pressed his lips to my forehead. When he pulled away, he reached up and let something fall from his mouth into his hand. It was a small pearly marble, no larger than a drop of water.

"Your dreams were amazing. Vivid, full, and complete, to the point that all I wanted to do was to keep them for myself. Even if you never experienced them for yourself, I wanted to honor them by keeping them separate from those feeding the Labyrinth. And then I found myself falling in love."

He took my hand and tipped the small dream into it. I stared at it, then up at him, unable to find a response to his confession. He seemed to understand, "Mia, I'll wait for you to come to terms with all of this. I know it must be hard to learn to live with dreams after a lifetime of nothing."

I pocketed the dream marble and felt a strange wave of gratitude for this Underworld being. He knew so much about me, more than even I knew of myself. He knew the good, and the bad - this thought made me flush - and yet was still here and willing to help me reorient. But first things first, I had to help Sarah sort things out with Jareth.

I smiled up at Alucinor.

Author's Note: So I have only two more weeks of steady internet access. I'll see if I can finish this before then.


	9. Fallout

Author's Note: No, Kay has not been forgotten. Thanks Midnight Lady – You pointed out some very valid structural issues. I think I was too eager to get this chapter out. Revamped, hopefully to your satisfaction.

Fallout

Kay returned from the store with toothpaste, toothbrushes, a couple of cheap shirts, a package of underwear, and deodorant. We exchanged looks as we sorted out our necessities.

"I never knew that we wore the same size panties." I mused.

"And I will never use that information ever again in my lifetime." She shot back.

"Panties?"

I jumped and looked over my shoulder at Alucinor. With a yelp I swept all of the things off of the table back into the bag. "Get out of here! This is private!"

He frowned in confusion. "They're just undergarments."

I didn't bother replying and simply shoved him bodily out of the kitchen. Once he was out of sight, I huffed, "It's the principle of the thing!"

Kay smirked at me. "You like him."

"Kay, he's a creature not even from this world."

"So, it never stopped Sarah. Well, perhaps it did, but they seem to want to work things out."

"They need to get over themselves first."

Kay grabbed her toothbrush out of my bag. "But you do like him."

I sighed. "He said he was in love with me."

She paused and stared wide-eyed at me. "Whoa! Really? Just like that? But you just met!"

I slumped into a chair, wary of the subject of our conversation being one room away. "But he's been keeping tabs on me for years. Just like Jareth has on Sarah."

Kay pondered the information for a moment. "Well, if it was the king-dude, I'd say no way. But this guy, Alucinor, seems rather on the level. I like him. You should go with it."

Pursing my lips, I twisted my ring; the Celtic knot work on my right hand had left a tan line. "How did you know that Bryan was a good choice?"

She smiled. "Really he just wouldn't leave me alone till I said yes. Before he asked me out I thought he was just some jock who was pretending to know art just to get in my pants. Then I started really talking to him and found out he was just an awesome guy."

"And I'm not going to be going anywhere till Mia says yes." Alucinor spoke up from the doorway. I felt my face heat up and I couldn't look at him.

Kay grinned. "Congratulations, I haven't seen her get so flustered in… forever."

I mock-glared at my friend. "I hate you." I grabbed my bag and headed up to the guest bedroom. Alucinor started to follow, but I cut him off at the stairs. "Look, you have me at a serious disadvantage. How can I have a normal relationship with you, when you 'fess up right at the start and I just met you today?"

He blinked. "The fact that you put normal and relationship in the same sentence when dealing with a subject of the Underworld is clear indication that you are still in doubt."

"Of course I'm in doubt, but that doesn't mean I won't try to understand what's going on. I mean," I began ranting out loud, "This was all just a story, a play, or a dream of one person. It wasn't supposed to be true! Can't they go mess up their own lives without dragging me into it? I was fine with the life I had. It wasn't great, but it was mine. What gives that masochistic, chauvinist the right to drop in and think he's god?"

"Watch your tongue, dear Mia, or I will remove it." Jareth's voice filled the stairway.

"Screw you, Jareth!" I stomped my foot. Alucinor's face went blank in shock.

In a flash of light I found myself pinned to the wall in an echo of two days before. "Damn you woman! You try my patience even more than Sarah. Perhaps you need to be taught a lesson." Jareth appeared in midnight blue and black, a feathered cape hanging from his shoulders.

I sneered. "Is this how you'll solve your problems? Whenever anyone ruffles your _feathers_, you'll just threaten to cut out their tongue or pin them to the wall? You can't do that to someone you claim to love and I sure as hell won't let you do it to me without getting something in return."

Jareth sneered. "What will you do, spit on me?"

I made a show of hacking up a wad of spit and his eyes narrowed. I knew I was seriously toeing the line and stopped. "What will you do if _she_ gets angry enough to do the same? Will you threaten her?"

He hesitated, hand raised to deal some sort of punishment to me. From behind him spoke Kay, her arms crossed. "She's right. What you're about to do can be labeled as abusive. You should seek anger management. My boyfriend and I fight, but we never are physical about it. We separate for a while to cool off, and then settle things as reasonably as possible. You have to respect a different opinion."

He continued to hold me against the wall as he growled, "You say I need to act out of respect. But respect is earned, and you show none to me. Why then, should I not return the courtesy?"

"Because life isn't fair." I squirmed against his invisible hold. "Get over it!"

Alucinor bowed to his king. "She is correct, majesty. To learn to give way, even when you do not wish to, in honor and respect of your partner, is a strong gesture of love." He edged towards me. "Forgive me, sire, but to do harm to this mortal is not the right action. She only speaks out of concern." He shot me a look. "Though her methods are questionable."

Jareth raised an eyebrow at his subject. "I do not believe you have ever said anything to oppose me in the past hundred years."

"No, majesty, but you have never been in love before either. I only wish to assist."

The sight of Alucinor groveling in front of such an arrogant SOB made me burn. Before I could say anything, the dream gatherer gave me a warning shake of his head. Jareth sighed and released me with a flick of his fingers. "I tend to forget that your attitude is the reason I asked you to help me. It is also the reason you almost have yourself sentenced to an oubliette nearly daily." He turned to Alucinor. "Teach her to curb that tongue of hers."

"Teach me my a-" Alucinor clapped his hand over my mouth and merely nodded. Jareth gave me one final glare before turning down the stairs.

Kay was still standing in the goblin king's path. For a moment they faced one another in a stalemate until the red haired woman stepped back. He walked out the front door like any human being.

I collapsed on the stairs and groaned, closing my eyes in exasperation. When Alucinor slipped behind me to rub my shoulders, I stiffened but didn't turn.

"Mia, honey, I know what you're trying to do, but I really think you're going about it all the wrong way."

I cracked an eye open to look up at my friend. "How's that?"

"I don't blame you for wanting to knock his ego down a peg or two, but I don't think making him angry all the time to get him to pay attention is a healthy way to do it."

"Healthy for him, or healthy for me?" I tried to joke.

"Both." Kay didn't smile. "Some things they'll have to figure out on their own. You can't just tell them it's a math problem – that one and one make two. I have a feeling that most of the time it'll end up being three."

Alucinor's fingers were finding some very interesting knots in my shoulders and I began zoning out. "Yeah, well, he wanted help, and I'm trying to give it."

Kay sighed, "Well, you know the saying 'speak softly and carry a big stick'."

I snorted. "Well I think he's emotionally deaf, so all I can use is a big stick."

Kay echoed my tone. "And you're such an expert of your own? Alucinor has you right where he wants you, and you don't even realize it."

"Huh?" I blinked. Kay had been walking away as she spoke, leaving me to melt under the strong fingers of the dream gatherer who leaned in next to my right ear.

"Mia, tonight you will have to watch yourself. The dream world will be created solely for the king, and Lady Sarah. You cannot interfere, as much as you may want to."

My brain slowly turning to mush, I asked, "So if it's all for them, then why should I even go?"

His voice was warm and full of laughter. "Because you'll find a way – your curiosity is too great for you not to worm your way in, no matter how many barriers I put up."

We sat in silence for a moment, before a question floated to the surface of my contentment. "Alucinor, you gather dreams, do you take nightmares too?"

His hands paused. "Sometimes, but there is another gatherer who's primary duty is to take nightmares."

"Where do they go?"

"The Labyrinth uses them, it does not care what kind of dream it is, only the power that is within them."

"So they make up the scary side."

"You could say so."

"Oh." I finally gave in to the temptation of the warm body behind me, and leaned back. "Well, I know I'll have a bad dream eventually. 'Least I have you here to take care of it." I drifted off.

_The air was warm and dry, tugging strands of my hair to brush across my face. The ground gave off a warm brown glow beneath my feet, but there was no sign of life. Bare brown rocks gave a lunar feel to the landscape. A black sky overhead added to the bleakness. I was alone. At first the thought didn't bother me, I simply began to walk, bare feet raising small clouds of dust. Then I notice that my footprints were black against the glowing earth. The darkness began to bleed together behind me, moving and writhing like a snake. My heart began to pound with fear and I tried to run. The shadows ran with me, grabbing at my ankles and pulling me back. It felt like I was running in glue as my feet began to sink. _

"_No! No! No!" I began chanting. Then I fell, the blackness oozing out from beneath me, then reaching up and dragging me down. I sank._

_Then everything shifted. I heard voices, but no words. Hands were holding me, covering my eyes, and restraining any movement. Then like a radio dial, the sound came into focus – a man and a woman talking._

"_You keep saying these things, but you don't understand them."_

"_But I am saying them. Things haven't changed."_

"_You're wrong. Things have changed – I've changed, and whether you're willing to admit it or not, you've changed too. You cannot stop time."_

"_But I can re-order it."_

_I could feel the hands starting to loosen their grip and I began to slid downwards._

"_To what end, Jareth? You cannot simply rewind time to erase your mistakes. How can you learn from them?"_

"_Who wants to learn from pain?"_

"_Pain makes us stronger, and makes us softer. We understand the world we live in better, and we can learn to live with it."_

"_I think you owe me more than just words, Sarah."_

_I heard a sigh and the hands released me as my feet touched the bottom of whatever I had been descending. It was cold, but not damp. I started to move forward, toward the voices, but something held me back yet again. I looked up to see Kay, standing alone, staring into the darkness. I opened my mouth but she turned to face me with eyes so full of anger that I couldn't move. _

"_Is that how it is? We will always owe something – You will be bitter that I won, I will be bitter that you hold that against me."_

_I could see them now, Sarah and Jareth standing on a white marble dance floor, surrounded by stairs that zigzagged in every direction - the Escher room. The goblin king was wearing an elaborate white cloak, spines arching up and over his shoulders into the illusion of a crown. A ruffled white shirt muffled the glint of his medallion against his chest. Sarah wore a pale blue ball gown, her dark hair piled elegantly on top of her head. The dress clung to her body, before gathering and falling in a waterfall in the back. They were beautiful together, one so pale and sharp, the other, dark and graceful._

You can't compete. _I thought to myself - not that I have even seriously hoped to vie for attention._

"_We are still children," Sarah reached up to trace the king's face. "I just realized that."_

_Jareth's voice was stiff. "I am no child."_

_Her hand trailed down to the hidden pendant. "Your heart is, and so is mine. I love you, Jareth." She stepped back. "I love you, but I cannot stay. I am not what you think I am, and I cannot change."_

"_Why?"_

"_If I change, or you change, then we are not who we are. How can you love something false? How could I?"_

_Jareth tried to follow her retreat, but she matched him step for step. He finally stopped, poised on the edge of something only the two of them could see. "Your eyes can be so cruel." He whispered._

_Sarah smiled, lips trembling. "I am sorry. If life is a circle, perhaps we will meet again. And perhaps then, we will have grown a little more." _

_She took one step forward to press her mouth against his, which he hungrily took. I turned my head, not wanting to witness their pain. Kay was wiping her eyes, gave me a small smile of her own, and vanished into the surrounding darkness. Somehow I knew that she had gone home. _

"_Jareth"_

_I looked back at the couple. Sarah was tightly clutched in the goblin king's arms, but she was leaning away._

"_You have no power over me."_

_In the blink of an eye, she was gone._

_The sound that I heard next was one that would haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life. Raw pain was screamed to the corners of the Labyrinth as Jareth threw back his head and loosed his anguish. And it went on, and on, and on._

I threw myself out of sleep so violently that I fell out of bed. Clutching my hands over my ears, I tried to block out the echo, barely registering that I had woken back in my apartment. My heart was pounding, bleeding in sympathy until I was forced to simply curl up on the floor and sob.

It was wrong, it was all so wrong. The story was supposed to be happy. There was supposed to be a victor, a love that would overcome all obstacles. How could it end like that?

Maybe Kay had been right. Maybe I had been too selfish. Maybe… "It's all my fault."

"You're right and wrong, Mia." I felt Alucinor settle on the floor next to me and I looked at him through a watery haze of tears. He gently brushed a finger against my cheek. "You were right in all the ideas, but you were wrong in the actions. You told Jareth to change, but in doing so you told him to cease being what he was. You said to be honest, but the result would have been dishonesty. They have love, even as flawed as it is, but when you tried to help them forcefully fix it, it broke." He smiled sadly. "Sarah saw that, and hopefully found a way to give them a second chance someday."

The pain of his words dug deep. "I didn't mean it."

"No one ever does." Alucinor sighed. "But that never stopped it from occurring."

I rubbed at the tears in my eyes, but they continued to flow. "I'm sorry." I tried to hide my face in my arms, but he drew them away. Gently pulling me into his lap, I leaned my head on his shoulder, still crying, "I'm sorry."

Author's Note: The reviews are slow in coming! However, please don't get angry at my un-happy ending for Jareth and Sarah. It makes sense to me that they are like two magnets that keep repelling and attracting. Perhaps things didn't work out now, but who knows about later. This is the last chapter – epilogue to follow.


	10. Epilogue

Author's Note: I revised the last chapter for Midnight Lady. Also, this is the last chapter. For the nonreviewers, please do what these lovely folks have done: Thankee – Glass of Water, Asami Black, asn water, Jibiathon, Moonjava, Lady of the Labyrinth, Sprocolate (heya!) Jessica Arbuckle, Nugrey, Sparkle E. Slugg, darkprediction, fish, CanaceErinn and Ripper101!

Epilogue

"I was human once." Alucinor whispered. "Centuries ago I lived in Italy. It was by chance really that the King found me. Another child had wished their sibling away, and I was present. Much like your friend, Kay, I was a bystander. But in this case, I was an orphan, with no one, and nothing. I asked him to take me."

He tightened his arms around me as I curled up in his lap. After a long bout of tears, I had simply lain exhausted on the cold wooden floor with my self-proclaimed boyfriend. Alucinor sat with his back against the side of my bed, my head resting in the crook of his neck, lips moving gently against my forehead. The sun was slowly lightening the world outside my window, and I knew that the first day of the week had arrived, and the first day of my supposed 'vacation'. But relaxation was the last thing on my mind. I had destroyed two individual hopes of paradise.

"He looked at me, asked what I had that he would want. And I told him that I had nothing but my life and my loyalty, and that all I wanted was to be fed and clothed."

I felt him smile.

"He laughed at me, and I thought he would simply leave me there in the gutter. He turned to the boy who had just wished his little sister away and asked him, 'Will you try to save her?' and the boy only shook his head. She could have been a bother to any older brother; I had watched them leave the market. She was whining about a copper pin she wanted. But I didn't think she deserved to be turned into a creature of the Underground. She at least had a family. Instead, I said that I would run the Labyrinth."

I pulled away enough to look him in the face. "You did that for someone you didn't even know?"

His bangs fell in his eyes, making me want to brush them away. "I had nothing to lose. So the King let me trade – my life for hers. I ran the Labyrinth, but I failed. He made me his dream gatherer, and marked me as his own." He let one hand slip from around me to push back his hair to reveal the golden star on his forehead.

"What about your ears?" I asked.

"They changed when he made me immortal."

"Oh," My heart sank, and I frowned. Why would that make me disappointed? I hadn't even really said that I would… _would what?_

He read the hesitation in my face. "Mia, you want two things – first that you will stop feeling so alone, and second, that there will be no change. But you cannot have one without the other and if you are willing, I can help you with both. You must give up your second wish to have the first."

I was suddenly _very_ aware of his arms around me and that I was half sitting, half lying in his lap. I swallowed, "Alucinor, I'm not good with relationships. And this one has started so oddly… but I do," I blushed. "I do like you. But is it even fair that we're here, and I messed things up so badly for Jareth and Sarah?"

He looked at me solemnly. "May I kiss you?"

Embarrassed, I ducked my head. "I-I suppose so."

He carefully tilted my face back up to his before smoothly fitting his lips against mine. My heart jumped up to my throat, and I couldn't think what to do next. Alucinor simply slipped that one kiss into a series of smaller ones until I reached up to hold him still. I wanted to get a better feel of his mouth instead of his delicate fluttering. And I did, much better. He tasted like warm cider… without the apples. Sweet, with a spice that started to fill my head. I had the faint thought; _I wonder what I taste like_, before he firmly took control of the exchange.

The shock of the cold wood floor on my back let me know how far we had gone. Panting, I opened my eyes to see him leaning over me, but his gaze wasn't focused. He was listening to something. Dread wiped away every trace of pleasure.

"Alucinor?"

Whatever had drawn his attention was clearly not enjoyable. Blue eyes narrowed, and I felt him stiffen in anger. Before I could ask him what was wrong, he bent and kissed me hard enough that I almost pushed him away in defense. Then he was gone. I sat up, completely confused, and looked around my apartment.

"Alucinor?"

Nothing – he had vanished and I had the sickening feeling that I knew why.

The morning air was chill, dew hanging off of the uncut grass in a shimmering mist. The sun hadn't even cleared the nearest city buildings as I ran through the park to that bench where it all began. If anyone had seen me, they would have thought I was crazy, wearing jeans, sneakers, and a tank top, hair falling uncombed past my shoulders, and looking around the grounds as if expecting someone there at 6 am. But I _was_ looking for someone.

"Jareth!" I reached the park bench. "Jareth, king of the goblins, you had better get your butt down here – or up here, whichever!"

I waited, hands on my hips, looking constantly for any sign of his presence and coming up with nothing. Tears began to burn my eyes, but I had too much anger to let them fall.

_How dare he! Sarah was right – he is still a child! A petty child who says 'If I can't have it, no one can'._

"That's so unfair!" I hissed under my breath.

"I cannot help it, Mia." The smooth voice still spoke up from behind me, despite my efforts to keep him from catching me off guard. I whirled to face him, ready to rip him a new one. He was in a pair of black jeans and a white silk shirt. Ruffles hid the fact that it was open nearly all the way down his chest. The medallion still gleamed, the crescent looking forebodingly like horns.

"What do you mean, you can't help it? My life has nothing to do with yours. You came to me for help – I gave it. Now let me get back to it."

"That is what I intend to do."

"Then why did you take Alucinor? Where is he? Send him back!"

Jareth sighed and leaned two gloved hands on the back of the wooden bench that he stood against. "Such arrogance to demand things of a king. Etiquette has been lost in this day and age." He shrugged. "Alucinor is my subject, and a creature of the Underground. Your _life_, had nothing to do with him."

My fears were confirmed. The tears began burning my throat and I glared at him. "You just want to keep whoever you can from having happiness." To my shame, my vision was blurring. "You just can't stand that I might be happy while you aren't. Why did you even bother?" I had to turn away. "Why did you even come?"

"You called. Just as you called twelve years ago, and just as Sarah called. But the game is over – at least this round. She is the master here, I am her king, but she is the queen with the power to change the board at her whim. You and yours are merely pawns."

"So we will have to wait for you two to get over yourselves before we can even hope to have a romance?"

To my surprise, Jareth moved from behind the bench to face me and smiled. It had no trace of his inherent sarcasm or bitterness – it was pure melancholy. He reached out with a gloved finger to wipe away the tears which were finally slipping from my eyes. "Unfortunately, yes. Sarah has made her choice, and she also unwittingly made new rules. I may not have power over her, but she holds such power over me. I cannot allow my dream gatherer the luxury of traveling readily between worlds off duty."

"For how long?" I asked. He was still so handsome in the morning light, but cold as the dew that soaked my shoes. Handsome, but not what I wanted… not any longer.

"Only time will tell. Perhaps forever - " He smirked. "But that's not long at all."

I stepped back and straightened my shoulders. "I love him." I declared without hesitation. "I'll relearn your game, and I will win again."

A spark lit in his mis-matched eyes and he produced a crystal in his left hand. "I'm sure you think you will." He rolled the sphere over the back of his hand and up to his fingertips. "And what will the stakes be?"

"Me." I smiled.

"Take care, Mia, that you do not forget that words have power. They can bring you your heart's desire, or they can doom you to an eternity of torment."

"I am aware of that. But I have an additional request."

He raised an eyebrow at me but I merely returned it. "Sarah and I will meet the challenge together. When the time comes – when she is ready, so will I. And we will defeat the Labyrinth again."

His smile twisted into a sneer. "So confident are we. The higher you go, the further you will fall."

I shook my head. "No, we won't fail. Do you know why?"

He only waited for my answer.

"Because we truly love what we seek."

"Yet you said the right words." His eyes were hooded, looking for any weakness.

"We are all only human – we make mistakes, and we may mean them at the time. But we also believe just as strongly, that we can make up for them."

Jareth held out the crystal to me. "And we will be waiting."

The dream was over.

A new game had begun.

The end.


End file.
